


What Are We To Each Other?

by Five_star_hellhole



Category: Cassandra Palmer Series - Karen Chance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 11:42:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13680984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Five_star_hellhole/pseuds/Five_star_hellhole





	What Are We To Each Other?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kathleengreshamtx](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=kathleengreshamtx).



“Ok. Ok. That was…. That was not great.” Caleb said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before opening his eyes. He took in the mob of kids in front of him, who, not so long ago he had been “forcibly acquiring” for the circle. Now he was tasked by the Pythia to babysit in the suite for an hour while her and Tami ran out. He thought he would take the time to teach them some defense, as they lived in a place that was constantly under attack. He held in a sigh, not great at all.

As Caleb stood there, in his military stance, he wasn’t sure what he should do. The silent judging from behind his left shoulder though was coming in loud and clear.

Caleb turned around, hands balled at his sides, and glared at John. “If you think you can do any better, you do it.” He growled at him. John, never one to not rise to a confrontation stood up from the table he was leaning against with his arms crossed and raised an eyebrow. 

“I told you that wouldn’t work. How thick headed do you have to be to try to get them to project their shields a TENTH time before realizing you’re being a stubborn tool?” John snarled at him as he brushed past him to stand in front of the Misfits. All his patience with the rigid Circle teachings gone. Thank god he had learned magic before the Circle had seized control.

“Well, excuse the hell out of me. I didn’t see YOU trying anything.” Caleb snapped back at him.

John ignored him as he surveyed the Misfits, all their faces looking at him defiantly while he weighed his options. The problem was they didn’t trust them. Oh they trusted them enough to know they wouldn’t be dragged away back to the circle, but that was more because they knew the Pythia would rain down hell if that happened. The little group of kids, who had been deemed too dangerous to be part of society by the Circle, were now unofficially part of the Pythian court. God help anyone who tried to change that. But trust was the problem, to expose yourself to this type of teaching meant being vulnerable, and they weren’t going to risk that in front of two war mages, one of whom had literally kidnapped them a month ago to imprison them. 

John decided that he would ignore what Caleb was trying to teach them. At least today. Today he had to show them that he didn’t think they had defunct magic, that they were normal, that he wouldn’t judge them. He knew what it was like to be judged a freak and cast aside. The memory of the fey all those years ago in the cottage came back to him. No, he wouldn’t let them feel that. Not from him.  
His eyes settled on a little boy with curly black hair and brown eyes, James, he thought his name was. John tilted his head at him. “James, is it?” The boy looked at him warily, barely 7 years old, before nodding his head slightly.

“James, tell me about your powers.” 

When the little boy said nothing, John stepped towards him and kneeled down so he was eye level. With a small half smile the others couldn’t see, he whispered “Don’t worry. Whatever it is, it’s ok. There is nothing wrong with what you can do. You just have to be able to do it safely“. John continued to look at him, not moving, when after a few seconds James sighed and nodded his head. “Necromancer.” He mumbled at John. John nodded his head before standing up, he had thought that was it based on what Cassie had told him a few weeks prior. Back then he hadn’t planned on teaching them but had needed to know what to expect from the little gang seeing as how they were always around.

“I’ve known some great necromancers in my time, James. Including the Pythia and her father. It all comes down to how you use it.” With that, John looked at all of them. “There is nothing you can do that will make you unwelcome here. Not as long as you keep this court safe and its secrets secure. I’ve been around a little longer than you may think and it wasn’t always what you could possibly do that mattered. It was what you actually would do“. For a moment John paused, his one hand clenching before he continued, he had never been good with the emotional moments but he knew what these kids needed to hear. What he wished he had heard at some point in his life. “You have a home as long as you need it. But, if you do stay, we need you. We need you to be a part of this, to trust us and know that nothing will harm you. That every person here would die to protect you. You are not freaks, you are not outcasts. Not here and not anywhere. You are part of this court and, as such, you are part of this family.”

John took a deep breath and exhaled out his nose as he watched the kids watch him. None of them had spoken up while he spoke and some of them now had slightly bewildered looks on their faces. The silence began to stretch until one of the boys, Jesse, turned towards him and said “Odd family you got here, Chief. What makes you think we want in?” The boy crossed his arms as he looked at John.

John took a moment before responding, a flicker of a smile appearing on his face, but a voice from the porch called in before he could speak. Marco walked in, having heard everything while he was outside drinking, and looked at the kids. “Because you’re here. I’m here. This whole court is full of misfits and outcasts. None of us belonged anywhere else until the Pythia found us. Me? I don’t plan on going anywhere and I don’t think you are either. She picked you all, she fought for you, she took you in. You’re already part of this family, you just have to accept that”. Marco crossed his arms as he watched the kids. John glancing back over to see if they were listening.

He could see the kids mulling it over, deciding whether they believed Marco and even more so, whether they wanted to open up to this possibility. Many of them had been hanging around thinking they were tolerated guests because of the Pythia’s relationship with Tami. But now? Now they weren’t so sure. Had they found a home?

“Well, shit. I guess we don’t have no choice then.” Jesse quipped at them before relaxing. “I always wanted a big family. Didn’t think it would be such a sausage fest though. Do we have any ‘aunts’ coming to visit soon?” 

John could hear Caleb snort behind him before Macro spoke. “Kid, that would be the covens that keep visiting. And if you want to grow up enough to hit puberty, I would rapidly start rethinking the words you spit out of that mouth before they decide to take away an important piece of your anatomy.”

John had to smile at that and he could see Caleb nodding in agreement in the reflection in the windows. Jesse just smiled bigger before drily responding “It’s a plan”. With that, the kids visibly relaxed. Tami may be their protector but Jesse was their leader. 

“Alright then.” John said. “Now who wants to show us what you got?” With that, all the kids broke into smiles, quite a few of them mischievous ones.

Thirty minutes later Cassie and Tami came in the door to a suite full of laughing kids and amused adults as the kids showed off their abilities. The mages keeping everything contained, keeping the kids safe. She glanced over at Tami and had to smile as she saw the look of relief and happiness in her eyes. This is what magic is supposed to be. Acceptance and cooperation. And the laughing? Well, that is what family is meant to be.


End file.
